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In 2012 we started the private beta of our children’s book authoring tool Storybuilder. Developed by a handful of developers as part of our Robook platform, Storybuilder allowed authors to create interactive stories for iPhone, iPad and Android without writing any code. We called these stories robooks.

3,367 people downloaded the private beta, ranging from independent children’s book authors to large publishers, and even massive tech companies. Hundreds of robooks were produced, some of which we published in our marketplace Storyteller. It also started to grow beyond our expectations: teachers used Storybuilder in their classrooms, designers created animated portfolios and even developers prototyped apps with it.

We are extremely thankful to everyone who tried Storybuilder, and specially to the storytellers who created content with it. Seeing authors realize their ideas with our little tool inspired us, and was probably the main reason we kept tinkering and improving the platform for so long.

Until we couldn’t anymore. Put simply, we were unable to prove that there was a viable business behind Storybuilder in order to continue. Some of our assumptions about the tool and Storyteller were wrong, and perhaps we bit more than we could chew.

The result is that effectively immediately we will stop supporting Storybuilder. Storyteller has been unpublished, and Robook Reader -the app used to view robooks- will be unpublished in September 25 at 17:00 CET. Finally, our own website will be soon revamped. Those who have already downloaded the Storybuilder beta may continue using it, but there will be neither further updates nor support.

We have and will open source a lot of the technology that was developed for the Robook platform. And of course, we will keep maintaining our previous endeavors, such as the popular English Idioms Illustrated and A Comic Viewer apps, with renewed energy. After all, every ending is a new beginning.

Thank you to everyone who was a part of this adventure. If you have any thoughts or questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email at hello@robotmedia.net.

The award-winning Wormworld Saga app is currently being featured by Google as part of the Staff Picks for Android tablets. The free app includes all published chapters of The Wormworld Saga graphic novel and is optimized for reading on tablet devices, including the new Google Nexus 7.

The Wormworld Saga is an episodic graphic novel designed for tablets, from the mind of acclaimed illustrator Daniel Lieske. Unlike traditional graphic novels, each chapter is digitally painted on a seemingly infinite canvas, providing an immersive reading experience that draws the reader into a fully realized fantasy world.

The Wormworld Saga app is the 4th comic book app produced by Robot Media to be featured on Google Play/Android Market, after Robot 13, The Adventures of Simon Pegg and Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little App.

The Wormworld Saga is also available for free for iPad devices. Earlier this year, the app won the Publishing Innovation Award at Digital Book World New York.

Introducing “Who’s in the Loo?” The critically acclaimed picture book that pairs Jeanne Willis’ brilliantly irreverent rhyme with Adrian Reynolds’ exuberant illustrations has now been brought to life in the fully animated interactive app for iPad and iPhone.Continue reading →

Despite the abysmal news coming out of Spain, the Barcelona startup scene is powering on. The Barcelona Startup Fair: Recruitment & Beer is showing local and international talent, that there are great things happening in the Barcelona tech scene; an scene with an unparalleled lifestyle compared to any other major tech cluster in Europe.

A group of 25 companies including Robot Media have come together to hold a joint recruitment event this June 12 at the Antiga Fabrica of local beer maker Estrella Damm. Between all the companies there are around 80 new jobs in internet based companies which need to be filled, primarily in technical and design roles.

The Barcelona Startup Fair: Recruitment and Beer will give access to 350 developers and designers. The organizers are working on a great mix between local talent, people from technical and creative schools, plus internationals who want to execute their great work in Barcelona.

To attend register here and don’t forget to come along to the after party, for a few more drinks and talking startups. www.revivelanoche.com will organize the after party.

The London Book Fair is one of the main publishing events of the year and reunites 24,500 publishing professionals. Now in its 41st year, the Fair introduces an App Zone, in which Robot Media will be presenting its children’s book authoring tool Storybuilder.

Come visit our booth at the App Zone on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 April to play with Storybuilder, and get a very exclusive t-shirt for storytellers.

If you can’t come, make sure you request a Storybuilder invite via littlerobot.com.

The premier children’s book authoring tool Storybuilder makes its debut at Bologna’s Children’s Book Fair 2012! Storybuilder allows authors and publishers to produce interactive picture book apps for iPad, iPhone, Mac and Android. And it’s powered by little robots that are also behind hundreds of apps, including content by Random House and HarperCollins.

Pitch your digital children’s book

To celebrate the unveiling of Storybuilder, we will be selecting 10 original children’s book projects that will get privileged access to Storybuilder and personalized support from the Robot Media team. If you’re a children’s book author who wants transform a story into a memorable app, come to our booth and pitch us your project on Tuesday 20 10:00 AM.

There’s free goodies!

Come find us on Sunday at our stand during TOC Bologna, or during the main event at the TOC Pavillion, Hall 26 B 90. We will be giving away collectable robot stickers and demoing Storybuilder live, and you’ll want us to fail: if Storybuilder crashes in front of you get an exclusive “I am a Storyteller” t-shirt!

Oh, they gave us the mike

You can also hear our Head Robot @hpique babble at any of the following sessions:

Ghostboy and the Nameless Grave is the first interactive children’s book for Amazon Kindle, an original title produced by digital picture book publisher Robot Media.

Kindle parents can now share the joy of reading eBooks with their children. Ghostboy and the Nameless Grave is an original eBook in which children become part of an interactive adventure, a brand new experience available exclusively for Amazon Kindle.